Preheat broiler with rack 6” from broiler element.
Place jalapeños on a rimmed baking sheet, broil until charred and flip to other side to char. About 6 -8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. The skins should slide off.
Remove and discard skins, stems, and seeds from the jalapeños, transfer to a food processor with the cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, pimientos, salt and garlic powder. Puree until smooth; pour into a 1-quart baking dish.
Combine Panko, parsley or cilantro, and oil, sprinkle over dip. Bake at 375° F. until golden and warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve with chips or raw vegetables such as bell or red pepper, chunks of cauliflower, broccoli or celery sticks.
10 slices applewood smoked bacon (cooked crisp and chopped)
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
½ cup scallions, chopped
Process
Beat cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add in 1-1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese, half of the cooked bacon, half of the minced jalapeño peppers, half the green onions and fold gently until mixed. The remainder of these ingredients will be used for the coating.
Shape the cheese mixture into a ball, using plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.
In a bowl mix the remainder of the cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeño pepper and green onions. Refrigerate.
20 minutes before serving, unwrap cheese ball and roll into the leftover topping mixture to coat entirely.
Here is a wonderful throwback to the 1970’s. This cheese ball was my first introduction to the world of different kinds of cheeses. It would be a great appetizer for the upcoming holidays, serve with crackers, pretzels, or toasted pita chips.
Ingredients
1 8-ounce cream cheese block
¾ cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup yellow or sweet onion, minced
½ cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Process
Bring cream cheese, blue cheese, and cheddar cheese to room temperature.
Crumble the blue cheese and shred the cheddar cheese.
Put cheeses in a mixer and beat on medium speed until fluffy, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Stir in chopped, toasted pecans.
Cover and chill in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
Shape chilled cheese mixture into a large ball and roll in the chopped parsley. Keep chilled in refrigerator until ready to serve.
These asparagus spears are a dream, one of my favorites because they are easy to make ahead. Marinated fresh asparagus spheres in seasoned rice vinegar with herbs and garlic, then wrapped in a salty prosciutto. No cooking involved! Guaranteed to please your guests.
Ingredients
1-pound fresh, thin stalk asparagus
3 tablespoons of olive oil
¼ cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
2 cloves of fresh grated or pressed garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 3-oz package of prosciutto
Process
Clean the asparagus and trim off ends. Place in a gallon zip-lock bag with the rest of the ingredients except the prosciutto.
Marinate in the refrigerator at least an hour or more.
When ready to plate, and serve, slice prosciutto slices into thin strips horizontally and set aside.
Remove asparagus from the marinade (do not rinse).
With a thin strip of prosciutto begin winding it up the stalk from the base of the asparagus to the top.
Plate the spears and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The holidays are fast approaching and you may need to consider appetizers for your guests, or perhaps you volunteered to bring something to a gathering. Why not something sweet and elegant? Roasted Stuffed Dates. Filled with goat cheese topped with a walnut, and herb mixture and drizzled with honey. Simply amazing.
Ingredients
1 12-ounce package pitted Medjool dates
1 4-ounce log goat cheese, softened to room temperature. I love the honey flavored
1/3 cup very finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon orange zest plus 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Hot honey for garnish
Process
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Slice the dates open lengthwise, do not cut all the way through.
Fill each date with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese.
Arrange dates in a 9” x 9” baking pan.
Combine walnuts, rosemary, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, salt, and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well.
Spoon walnut mixture over dates. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a platter.
I received three baby Bok Choy, also known as Chinese cabbage in my Bountiful Basket (a local food co-op) today. I was stumped as to how I was going to prepare them since I have only eaten this cabbage in stir fry or marinated. I decided to experiment tonight with an oven cooked bok choy.
A little about boc choy that you may not know; this vegetable contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent cancer in small doses, but, like many substances, can be toxic to humans in large doses, particularly to people who are already seriously ill. Cultivated in China since ancient times, bok choy is found in soups and stir-fries, appetizers and main dishes. Bok choy’s popularity comes from its light, sweet flavor, crisp texture and nutritional value. Not only is bok choy high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, but it is low in calories.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients
1 baby Bok Choy
Olive Oil
4 cloves of fresh garlic, grated or chopped very fine
Kosher salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese
Directions
Bok Choy
Remove outer leaves if they look torn or bruised, or just cut short with scissors.
If leaves are overly long you can trim them with scissors, otherwise leave long, they will crisp up when cooked.
Wash with cool water and drain and dry on paper towels.
Slice the Bok Choy lengthwise into 4 quarters leaving the stem on each piece to hold leaves together.
Drizzle with olive oil, rub the olive oil into the leaves
Grate the garlic cloves and spread all over the Bok Choy and into the leaves
Sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese
Place on a flat baking sheet covered with aluminum foil – do not use a pan with a lip, you want them to roast not steam.
Bake in 350 F. oven for 20 minutes, turn over and let bake for another 5 minutes
Be careful not to overcook, the Bok Choy should be crisp tender, at this point you can cut into chunks and serve or drizzle with a good quality balsamic vinegar and serve.
3 tablespoons butter 2 pounds carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced on the bias 1-inch thick 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon curry powder 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Directions
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. When hot, add the carrots in an even layer to maximize contact with the pan. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and fry the carrots, turning every 3 or 4 minutes, until are they are dark caramelized brown in spots, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the curry powder and mix to combine. Scatter the cilantro (or parsley) over the top and serve.
Purgatory Meatballs, yes the heat factor is there, but the pineapple and apricot preserves dial it down to a spicy sweetness. You can add additional hot jalapenos to dial up the heat factor. Start with this recipe and then add if it is not spicy enough.
I needed a fast, quick entrée to bring to work for an impromptu party. Off to the market I went to try and figure it out. Here is what I walked out with, I put it all together and decided it is yummy and great enough to post. Great as an appetizer, party food, over rice or great for a last minute potluck. I put it in a crock pot and was all set for the event.
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet onion, diced
½ cup of Italian parsley or cilantro, chopped fine
1 jar of chili sauce
1 large can of pineapple tidbits
1 jar of apricot preserves
1 jar of HOT Mango Chutney (I used half)
1 can of HOT jalapeno peppers (diced)
1 can of medium hot chilies peppers (diced)
4 bags of frozen, fully cooked meatballs (about 15 in each bag),
4 large green peppers, cut into chunks
Directions:
In a large saucepan, sauté the diced onion in 1 tablespoon of oil or 1 teaspoon of coconut oil until soft
On medium heat, add the next 6 ingredients, I only used ½ jar of the HOT Mango Chutney, but you can use the whole jar
Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly for 10 minutes, remove from heat. NOTE; because there is sugar in this mixture it will come to a boil quickly so keep the heat on medium and stir so the bottom does not burn.
After removing the pan from the heat, bring to room temperature if not using right away and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
When you are ready to serve; about 4 hours before the event, put the sauce in a crock pot and cook on high until hot, turn down to low and add the peppers, and meatballs, stir to coat and put the lid on and heat until meatballs are heated through.
Brussel sprouts with bacon, garlic, and Sweet Onion
The Brussels sprout, not a favorite with many people, but I love them; they remind me of tiny cabbages (also a fav, must be my Germanic upbringing). Everything is “better” with bacon, right? As well as garlic and sweet onion, so give these little morsels a try with your next dinner. Brussels sprouts are hardy, and fair well with beef or pork dishes. Raw Brussels sprouts contain excellent levels of vitamin C, and vitamin, with more moderate amounts of B vitamins, such as folic acid and B6, essential minerals and dietary fiber. Brussels sprouts, contain sulforaphane, a phytochemical under research for its potential anticancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of sulforaphane, steaming and stir frying do not result in significant loss. Brussels sprouts are also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical being studied for how it affects DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells in vitro. So there you have it, the almighty Brussels sprout. I hope this dish helps you on your way to acquiring a taste for these little gems. Enjoy.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Onion
Ingredients
6 slices bacon
½ cup sweet onion, diced
1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
4 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon red currant jelly
Directions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and sauté until bacon begins to brown. Remove pan from heat. Remove the bacon from pan, reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan (discard the remaining drippings).
Chop bacon into small pieces
Return pan to medium-high heat, and stir in bacon pieces, onion, and Brussels sprouts; sauté 4 minutes.
Add garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently.
Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes until the broth reduces almost completely gone and the sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in salt and red pepper flakes, toss with a tablespoon of current jelly.
For a colorful, special Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or any holiday dinner, try stirring in pomegranate seeds.
Kitchen Moxy 